Moving house can be a notoriously stressful affair, what with liaising between different groups of people, travelling sometimes large distances and having all of your possessions packed into cardboard boxes...but there's a new factor now added to the mix: the pingdemic.
There’s a high chance that you or someone you know has been ‘pinged’ from the NHS Covid-19 app — especially since ‘freedom’ day on the 19th July, with the BBC reporting 618,903 alerts in England and Wales over one week.
As we move into new post-pandemic territory, weddings, celebrations, birthdays, funerals, moving house (and just about everything) is threatened by the dreaded imposed isolation, as a result of being ‘pinged’ after having potentially come into contact with someone who tested positive with Covid.
Dave Sayce, founder of house moving website Compare My Move, has shared some really helpful tips to help you move house in the middle of the ‘pingdemic’, to try and regain as much autonomy and control over the busy moving period and ensure you stay one step ahead.
Do a pre-move survey remotely
Rather than an in-home consultation, Dave Sayce suggests getting in touch with your removal firm to check whether they can do a pre-move assessment via video, rather than in person, stating that ‘many removal firms should be able to offer alternatives to in-home consultations including: Simple video survey via app on your smartphone/tablet; online inventory forms to provide your own lists and a consultation by phone’.
Ask about removal companies’ availability and re-booking policy
If the unfortunate happens, and either you or your seller needs to push the date back due to isolating, it’s important to understand your removal companies policy — as it ‘can help you make a better decision when it comes to weighing up the cost of a quote, versus their availability and policies for cancellation or rebooking at short notice’.
Feel free to insist on safety measures that make you feel safe, not that just stick to new rules
Just because government guidelines have changed and the rules around masks are relaxed, you are still entitled to ask your removal company to wear masks when in and around your home, with many companies ‘continuing to keep in place rules to protect their staff and customers’.
Ensure to maintain social distancing when in the home, clean door handles, and keep your house well ventilated by opening windows and doors.
Consider packing yourself
We know this one sounds like a daunting task, and it won’t be feasible for everyone. However, if you are able to pack your own boxes, it can limit the number of people in your house and also reduce costs too. That saves you money and reduces the chance of being pinged.
What to do if you get pinged ahead of moving day
The inevitable has happened — but it’s not the end of the world, even if it will be disruptive. If you or someone within your household — or indeed the seller’s household — has been pinged and instructed to self-isolate, Dave suggests getting in touch with your removal company as quickly as possible and letting them know. Rest assured, you won’t be the first person (or last) to have this happen around your big move, and reputable firms will have policies in place to help.
